Celtic Vs Hibernian: Kai Andrews’ 87th‑minute strike hands Hibs a historic Parkhead win as title race twists
Celtic Vs Hibernian produced a late, decisive moment as substitute Kai Andrews struck in the 87th minute to win the game 2-1 at Celtic Park, delivering Hibernian their first victory at Parkhead in 16 years and handing Martin O’Neill his first domestic defeat since returning to the club. The result alters the title race calculus as Celtic and Rangers both dropped ground to Hearts.
Celtic Vs Hibernian: the decisive moments and Andrews’ first senior goal
Andrews, a 19-year-old substitute and former Motherwell midfielder, finished with composure into the bottom corner from the edge of the box in the 87th minute. Ante Suto laid the ball back for Andrews, who scored the first goal of his career to seal a long-awaited Hibs triumph at Celtic Park. Felix Passlack had opened the scoring for Hibernian after 24 minutes with a header from Nicky Cadden’s cross, and Benjamin Nygren brought Celtic level with a diving header on the stroke of half-time for his 18th goal of the season.
Auston Trusty red card and the match turning point
Celtic were reduced to 10 men in the 73rd–74th minute when Auston Trusty received a VAR-assisted straight red for an off-the-ball incident that involved pulling Jamie McGrath’s arm as the pair lined up for a corner. The dismissal forced Celtic to play the final 17 minutes with a man down and was followed by Hibs’ late winner. Unless an appeal overturns the decision, Trusty will miss Celtic’s trip to Rangers next Sunday; it was his second red card in seven games.
Passlack and Nygren: openings, missed chances and Celtic pressure
Celtic responded to falling behind with a period of relentless second-half pressure, but squandered several clear opportunities. Tomas Cvancara and Hyun‑Jun Yang passed up golden chances before Nygren stooped to head home Kieran Tierney’s deflected cross in first-half stoppage time. Despite sustained attacking play after the interval, Celtic could not find a winner and ultimately paid for their missed chances.
Rangers draw at Livingston shifts the table
On the same weekend, Rangers fought back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with 10‑man Livingston in West Lothian, dropping two valuable points. Brooklyn Kabongolo gave the home side an unlikely lead with a volley in the 14th minute and Lewis Smith doubled the advantage in the 55th. Cristian Montano was sent off on the hour by referee Ryan Lee for denying Rangers attacker Djeidi Gassama a goalscoring opportunity five minutes later, and that dismissal changed the game’s tempo. Emmanuel Fernandez pulled one back with a thunderous strike in the 81st minute and Mikey Moore levelled from a James Tavernier cross with two minutes remaining. A lengthy VAR check for a late tackle by Cammy Kerr at the edge of the box came to nothing, and Livingston held out through nine added minutes to secure a point, with goalkeeper Jerome Prior singled out for key interventions.
Table permutations: Hearts, Rangers, Celtic and Motherwell
The weekend’s results tightened the title race. Celtic now trail league leaders Hearts by six points and face a run of four consecutive away fixtures, including an Old Firm visit to Ibrox next weekend. Rangers sit four points behind the leaders with 10 fixtures remaining; Celtic’s defeat leaves them two points further behind Rangers while having played one game fewer than the top two. Separate calculations involving Motherwell add pressure: a strong weekend for Motherwell would leave them one point behind Celtic and three behind Rangers before Celtic and Rangers meet the following day. That sequence leaves open the possibility that Motherwell could finish above Celtic or Rangers, and that either Glasgow side could end up third or fourth if current form persists.
Manager and player reactions from Hibs, Celtic, Livingston and Rangers
Hibernian head coach David Gray said the win had been a long time coming, noting this was the second occasion this season the team had not lost at Parkhead and describing the three points as “massive” on the back of a positive result last week against St Mirren. Gray added that Hibs sit five points behind Motherwell and still have two fixtures remaining with them, stressing the season remains open and that his side must take one game at a time.
Livingston manager Marvin Bartley described the day as a rollercoaster: he said he would have taken a 2-2 before the game, that Livingston had looked comfortable at 2-0, and that the turning point was the sending off; he praised his players’ commitment and highlighted positives despite the club’s broader situation.
Rangers head coach Danny Röhl criticized a late decision he described as a clear foul, arguing pivotal VAR and referee calls had decisive effects on the contest. Back in the Celtic camp, Martin O’Neill absorbed sharp criticism after the result, with supporters contesting his post-match assessment that his side had been “terrific” and singling out Trusty for blame.
Saturday’s action elsewhere saw Hearts return to winning ways with a 1-0 victory over Falkirk at Tynecastle, their deadlock broken just before half-time by new January signing Islam Chesnokov, who scored his first goal for the club after Hearts had lost 4-2 at Rangers the previous weekend.
